Aarvi told herself she didn't care.
She told herself it was none of her business who Riyan knew, who had been part of his life before her. She told herself she had no right to feel anything about Maya Kapoor.
But feelings didn't listen to logic.
They showed up uninvited and refused to leave.
All afternoon, the image of Maya lingered in her mind — the confidence in her walk, the familiarity in her tone, the way she spoke to Riyan like she had once belonged there.
Aarvi hated that it bothered her.
---
She tried to stay normal
She focused on her work, replied to emails, organized schedules. But every time Riyan's office door opened, her heart jumped — expecting to see Maya again.
It didn't.
Still, the tension stayed.
She didn't look at Riyan much that day. And when she did, she caught him watching her — concerned, hesitant, like he knew something had shifted.
---
Riyan noticed the distance
He felt it immediately.
Aarvi's replies were polite but short.
Her eyes avoided his.
Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
This wasn't the distance he created earlier to protect her.
This was something else.
Something he hadn't planned for.
He waited until evening — until most of the office emptied — before stepping out of his office.
"Aarvi," he said softly.
She looked up.
"Yes?"
"Can we talk?"
She hesitated for half a second — then nodded.
---
The conversation she tried to avoid
Inside his office, the door remained open.
Riyan leaned against his desk, choosing his words carefully.
"You've been quiet today," he said.
"Did something happen?"
Aarvi looked away.
"No," she replied.
Then, more honestly, "Nothing that matters."
That stung.
"It matters if it affects you," he said gently.
She exhaled slowly, fighting the knot in her chest.
"Your past walked into the office today," she said quietly.
"I wasn't prepared for that."
Riyan stiffened slightly.
"I should've warned you."
"Yes," she whispered.
"You should have."
Silence stretched between them.
---
She finally admitted it
"I know I don't have the right," Aarvi said softly.
"And I don't want to feel this way. But… I felt small."
His eyes softened instantly.
"Small?" he repeated.
"The way she spoke," Aarvi continued.
"Like she knew you in ways I never will. Like I was just… temporary."
Riyan stepped closer.
"That's not true."
"You hesitated when I asked who she was," she said.
"That hesitation said more than your words."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"You're right," he admitted.
"And I'm sorry."
That apology surprised her.
---
The truth, not the comfort
"Maya was someone I trusted once," Riyan said quietly.
"Someone I let in before I learned how badly that could hurt."
Aarvi looked up, listening.
"She didn't break my heart," he continued.
"She taught me how to stop giving it away so easily."
Aarvi swallowed.
"And now?" she asked.
"Now," he said, meeting her gaze steadily,
"I'm choosing differently."
Her chest tightened.
"I don't want to compete with your past," she whispered.
"You're not competing," he said firmly.
"You're not even in the same place."
Her eyes filled.
"I don't want to feel jealous," she admitted.
"It makes me feel weak."
Riyan shook his head gently.
"It makes you human."
---
Something settled, not completely — but enough
They stood there in quiet understanding.
Not all doubts disappeared.
Not all fears vanished.
But something important happened —
He didn't dismiss her feelings.
He didn't minimize them.
He didn't pull away.
He stayed.
And for Aarvi, that mattered more than any reassurance.